Ambition is described in the dictionary as a strong desire to do or achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.

A lot of would-be creators have some form of determination. Curiously, very few have the determination to do the hard work to achieve their ambitions.

This is why there are so few people doing anything you can dream of who can make a name for themselves. Who can become “famous” in a circle of watchers and/or peers. They do the work to achieve their ambitions, whatever that ambition is.

In order to achieve an ambition, you have to have a plan. You cannot be like the Underpants Gnomes of South Park, whose whole plan was in three phases.

Phase 1: Collect Underpants

Phase 2: ?

Phase 3: Profit

You can see why that doesn’t work. And a lot of would-be creators have a very similar plan.

Phase 1: Create Comics

Phase 2: ?

Phase 3: Profit/Fame/Movie Deals

Again, you can see how that doesn’t work.

(Okay, I’m exaggerating a little. We all know that you have to sell comics, but there’s a lot that goes into the selling of a comic, starting with making a viable comic that is actually worth selling. See comiXology Submit for a lot of comics that can’t find any other real outlet to be sold.)

Having ambition is a great thing, but you have to do all of it in order to achieve it. So in effect, having ambition is very much like having a goal, and in certain cases, goals and ambitions are synonymous. In order to achieve an ambition/goal, you have to have a plan. Really, you have to have an overall plan, and within that overall plan will be lots of smaller plans and lots of smaller goals.